Tree talk - Trees in a right-of-way - By Robert Fogg

The reconstruction of River Road in Windham, and others, has spurred some questions and conversation about trees in a road right-of-way. Over the years, people tend to plant trees along the road frontage of their properties to give themselves a buffer from the noisy traffic. This is a great idea, as long as you know where the road right-of-way ends and your property begins. If you plant it in the road right-of-way, you could lose your screen someday. The owners of the road, whoever that may be, actually own the trees within its bounds. Our company has done a lot of roadside cutting for various towns, and we’re always vigilant about trying to notify people prior to removing trees along their road front. Most of the towns we work for instruct us to leave the hardwood, as a courtesy, for the adjacent property owners to pick up even though the trees were not technically on their property. So remember, if you ever decide to plant trees along your road front, find out where your property actually begins before planting so you don’t run a risk of eventually losing your trees. Looking up before planting a tree is also a good idea, as some people plant under power and phone lines without even thinking. This can eventually result in a very lop-sided tree, and we all know that a lop-sided tree is not a happy tree.

Robert Fogg is general manager of Q-Team Tree Service in Naples and is also a licensed Arborist.